The "MIGHTY GOD"
INTRODUCTION:
There are over 35 Hebrew and Greek words that are translated by the
word "mighty" in the Old and New Testaments. In many places
God is described as "mighty" or the "mighty God."
This concept is especially predominant in the Old Testament. (It also
occurs about five times in the New Testament, depending on translation.)
The emphasis of this study is limited to the predominant Hebrew word
translated "mighty" ("gibbowr," which occurs 138
times), and only to verses in which the word is associated with the
word "God" or "LORD." (The word "LORD," in all capital
letters, refers to the Hebrew name of God - "YAHWEH," sometimes
translated as "Jehovah.") This reduces the list to seven occurrences.
A few comments should be made before we examine these verses:
- In English translations, the word "mighty"
can be located either before the word
"God" (such as in "mighty God") or after it (such
as in "God, the Mighty <One>"). The meaning is the
same; in either case, the adjective ("mighty") is being used in
reference to the noun ("God"). [In the
original Hebrew text, the word "God" (or "LORD") precedes the
word "mighty" in each of these verses.]
- It should be pointed out that the
word "is" (which exists in many English translations) does
not occur in the original Hebrew. Translators often supply this word for
smoother reading in the English. (Some "literal" translations show
this by putting the word "is" in italics.) The phrases, "the mighty
God," and "God is mighty," communicate basically the same thing.
- Since it is the Hebrew word for "mighty" that is being
examined, there may be some occasions in which an English translation uses a
different word (such as the word
"powerful"). But in any case, the concept being conveyed is the same - and that is what's important!
Dennis Hinks © 1993, 2004
041024
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